After much rigamarole, MPs agree to hear from the AG on F-35 purchase

The auditor general will be at public accounts committee later this week, though his invitation to discuss the F-35 procurement took some work to extend.

The House committee convened Tuesday to organize witnesses on the AG’s spring report which found deep flaws in the fighter jet procurement. Following an emergency meeting last Thursday, the committee was pressed to draw a list of the individuals it hoped to call on the issue.

Fearing the government would put the meeting in camera, the opposition spent much of their time pleading for the proceedings to take place in public. Instead, Conservative MP Andrew Saxton put forth a list of witnesses that included the secretary to the treasury board, plus deputy ministers from public works, national defence and Industry Canada.

The auditor general did not make the government’s list.

Liberal MP Gerry Byrne noted that the Conservatives were going against tradition by not inviting the AG to be the first witness. “They want to prevent the truth from being told.”

New Democrat MP Malcolm Allen proposed a motion that would ensure the government’s witnesses would appear over three meetings. The motion failed.

“The AG has the details,” MP Mathieu Ravignat said. “It will allow us to then pose more pointed questions and more detailed questions to the other witnesses.”

He suggested the AG go first, followed by the deputy ministers put forth by the government. Conservative members voted against the motion, which was defeated.

Byrne compared the process to a “circus,” saying it reminded him of the same committee’s attempt to speak to the auditor general on the G8 legacy fund. In that case, the AG did not appear. “We really should be calling the auditor general first.”

Committee chair, NDP MP David Christopherson, also noted that this would be the second time the AG had not been asked to come forward to speak to his or her own report. “This trend is dangerous in terms of the critical importance of oversight,” Christopherson said. “Not having the author of the report quite frankly makes no sense as well as being politically dangerous.” He said he feared the process looks like it is being manipulated.

Moments later, Saxton suggested if the opposition put forth a motion to have the AG appear before the government’s list of witnesses, it would find friendly reception on the government side.

Allen proposed, the government accepted, and the AG will be at committee on Thursday.